The Seeds Of Sadness
by Animesuperfreak
Summary: Krissa's journey starts with a single misplaced step. The strange Lucarios journey has already begun. They collide in the middle, only... The Lucario wants NOTHING to do with the girl. But when she gets placed in danger... Will he help her... Or doom her?
1. Chapter 1

OK. So I'm back, with a new story. This one is put up to get you guys occupied while I type more of The Green Journal, and Kiba's love. Honestly, do you guys even read and like those? XD So yeah, Im back. This is the prologue of this... the next bit will be up in a week or two weeks. Or less, if someone notes me and says put it up NOW.]

The Seeds Of Sadness Chapter one

Bubbles...so many. Why were there bubbles? He waved a hand in front of his face; the fur on it seemed to be floating. The blue, yellow, and black Pokémon looked upwards. The green circle of light...it shimmered tauntingly at him. He tried to move, to swim upwards. He had just woken, floating on the top of the water, the cold, cold water...and suddenly he was falling. 'What...why am I in the water...Oh yeah.' The Pokémon thought. A flash; a man, laughing. A bolt of electricity, a scream of pain. The Pokémon watched mesmerizing-ly as a red tendril floated past his eyes. Blood? He hit the bottom of the sandbar, and suddenly his world was pain. Pain laced up and down his back and through his head. Sharp, clear pain. The pain intensified as the sand grated against his open wounds and darkness grew at the corner of his eyes. Why was there so much pain?


	2. Chapter 2

"Look, mom. I'm 13! I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself, pokemon or no." Inside a small checkered kitchen a small girl argued with her mom.  
>"Please, Krissa. dont go out today! Theres supposed to be a storm." The girls mom pleaded.<br>"But the storms always miss us cuz of the mountains..." Krissa whined, sitting in the chair. She looked around the room. It was simple. A blue checkered tablecloth lay on a circlular table in in the center of the room. To the left there was a stovetop and a microwave hanging above it. There was a black fridge and a blue cupboard filled with food. Her mother was a big woman...at least in terms of bosoms. she had an hourglass figure anf short black hair. Her mouth curved down in a frown leading to her green halter top and black jeans. "Come on, mom...please?" "Agh...i dont know why i let you do this. Fine. Go ahead. but you better bring me back something nice!" Krissa grabbed her backpack and surveyed her outfit. Her white beanie with blue band rested comfortably on her head, and she hummed to herself as she slipped her black fingerless gloves on each hand, She grabbed her watch from the pocket of her sky blue cargo pants and slipped it onto her left wrist. She reached down, buckled her black boots, and brushed off a few hairs from her white shirt with a snowflake on the center of it. "OK! I think im ready. What time do you want me back, mom?"  
>Her mom looked up from making her breakfast; a bowl of cereal. "Oh, it doesnt matter. Try to be back before lunch. Ok?"<br>Krissa laughed as she walked out the door into the quiet morningtime. She looked around. No one was up yet, as it was only 7-30. Oh, wait. There was one person up.  
>"Hello, Mrs Rivers! How are you this morning?" The old woman stopped by her barnhouse mailbox and waved cheerfully at Krissa. "Hello there dearie. Thanks ever so much for asking. Im fine...getting a little bit older perhaps, but im fine. What about you; a girl your age should'nt be starting a hike when theres a storm coming, should you?" Krissa looked at the clouds. They were a light fluffy white...but to the north were dark storm clouds, and lightning flickered at the edge. But she could see that they were veering to the left, away from Celestic town. She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but i think it'll pass. Look! It's already going away, Mrs Rivers." She said in a hopeful tone. "Ok then. But be sure of it! Im going to go feed my Tuffles. You know how cranky persians get. Drop by after a while, i just made some honey you can take to your mom, ok?" "'K Mrs Rivers." Krissa waved at her. Mrs Rivers waved back, and Krissa walked through the gate towards Mt Coronet.<br>"Ah...to be hiking again." She breathed deeply, inhaling the scents. She sighed and grabbed the straps of her navy blue knapsack, hitching it up farther on her shoulders. As she walked she noticed several things. One was an Umbreon. It sat on the very edge of the rock and looked at her, its yellow eyes peircing. 'Do umbreon even live around here?' Krissa thought to herself. Two, she saw a very large bird fly overhead...it was yellow and very...spiky? "Yeah...spiky.." She said out loud. "But what is it?" She watched it dissapear behind the side of the mountain and she started to run up the path, trying to catch up to it. She stopped at a large cave. There was a yellow light inside...so she did the logical thing. She peered inside it. but no bird...instead there was a vulpix, and a charmander. The vulpix looked up in alarm at her, its teeth bared. "Vuul!" Krissa took a step back, apologizing. "Im sorry. I was looking for that yellow bird. I need it for my sketchbook...do you know where it went?" The vulpix took a step towards her, its fur crackling with heat. "Vuuulpix. Vul vul!" It said, taking a defensive pose. Krissa took that as a no, and continued on up the mountain. On the way a geodude popped up from the side of the rock face and frowned at her. She waved at it and it smiled. But then it started making wierd gestures, pointing behind her and staring at her. As she turned around it zoomed back down the path. "Whoa..." Krissa breathed. There it was. Seeing it up close she know knew what it was, its spiky yellow and black wings folded by its side; it was standing with its back to her. "Zapdos...The legendary Electric Bird..." As she mumbled this, it turned and eyed her warily. She sat down, knowing enough to not look it in its eyes. It turned to her and emitted a long cry. "Eraaght!" She silently and quickly got out her sketchbook, drawing with soft and fast lines, trying to 'capture' it before it flew away. She didnt feel the need to capture pokemon with pokeballs like trainers, she chose instead to capture them with her pencil. She had studied pokemon before and knew not to look a tough or awesome one in the eyes, or to never get in a Rhydons way. She felt awesturck as the Zapdos watched her. 20 minutes past and Krissa had the rough outline done. She looked up, and the zapdos was gone. Sighing, she stood up. She was surprised when she tunred around and it was standing right in front of her. It cocked its head sideways and she took out her sketchbook, holding the picture up to it. It again cried, and seemed to smile before taking off and flying into the black clouds, letting loose a thunderbolt to counter another one. Wait...The dark clouds? "Oh crap...i guess it didnt turn after all..." Krissa muttered. She looked at the retreating form of the Zapdos and smiled. "But it was SO worth it." Still smiling she truned and started down the path as the storm headed ever nearer. She could even hear the thunder now, and the early morning sun was gone, hidden behind the bank of menacing looking clouds. She glanced up and watched a flock of pidgey fly overhead. As she broke into a run, the storm let loose and rain poured onto her shoulders. "Still worth it!" She called out to the rain. But now it was getting windy, and she was still halfway up the mountain. Frowning, she searched for a cave to wait it out. The storm didnt seem particulary bad...but she wondered if Zapdos had anything to do with that. Sighing, she jumped over a gap in the path...and a freak gust of wind blew her off balance. "Whaaoo...Ahh!" She cried, at the last second regaining it. She stepped firmly onto the ledge...and it gave out under her. She scrabbled for purchase on the rock cliff, but then fell backwards, screaming out before hitting her head and her vision went dark. "AAAHHH!"  
>Several minutes away, a pokemon walked through the woods. It was about four feet in height, with long ears and a crooked blue tail. The pokemons legs were black, with very large thighs, blue in color and a light yellow torso with a small spike in the center, nestled in small tufts of fur. The pokemons shoulders where just rings, essentialy, black in color and extending from these where blue arms with black forepaws, a spike in the back-center of each. The pokemon's face was dog like, and had three long black sack-like things hanging off of it. Its ears, long and pointed, and also blue with a tad of black on the inside twitched. "Hmmm." He muttered, walking towards the mountain. As he walked, he noticed an umbreon. it stared at him and he scowled at it. As it ran off, it jumped over something. As the lucario walked closer to it, his scowl became more pronounced. He stood over the girl. He frowned at her, then turns and starts to walk away, wanting nothing to do with a human. The thunder shakes the earth as a flash of lightning incinerates a nearby tree. The lucario's right paw immiedatly goes up to feel the right side of the back of his head, where there is only a stump where a Aura Sensor used to be. He stops and glances at the girl again. Sighing, he walks back over to her and silently he picks her up and slings her over his shoulder. Her hand brushes against an old wound, six long, ragged scars that extend from the base of his neck to his waist. Scowling, the Lucario carried her into the woods. He would help her...but he refused to like her.<p>

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	3. Chapter 3

When Krissa woke up, she wished she hadn't. Her head ached, and so did her whole body. She felt like she had fallen down a mountain...Oh yeah. She had. But somehow...she was mostly uninjured. She slowly sat up. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and everything was soaking wet. It was dark out as well, and so she could see each occasional flash of lightning. She looked around. She was in a small cave, right up next to the mountain, with a ring of trees encircling it, thickening into the woods further out. In other words, a meadow. As she sat up, she felt something dripping down her neck, and she raised her hand to feel it. Hopefully it wasn't blood...no, it wasn't. it was water. She shivered. She was soaking wet and a little cold. Nearby was a small stream that stemmed from the waterfall running off the mountain. "This...is very pretty." In one corner of the cave she was in was hung a small hammock, leading her to the question of who had rescued her. "Hello? Is anyone here?" She called out, not really expecting an answer. A flash of lightning revealed a dark silhouette of...of something standing behind a nearby tree. It looked human at least. "I am here. Who are you?" A rough, gravely boys' voice spoke, startling Krissa. "Um...My names Krissa. Who are you?" She peered at the shadow, trying to discern if it was a person. "Someone of no importance. But what is important is why you lying were out in the middle of a storm. I find it quite hard to believe you were napping." The voice held a slightly humorous tone. "Someone...of no importance? Don't you have a name, at least?" The voice was silent, and then..."It does not matter. Answer the question." Behind the tree, Lucario stood, one leg folded over another, and arms crossed. His eyes closed, he wondered why this girl asked so many questions. "I'll take that as a no. Well...Everybody has a name...shouldn't you? Or don't you have something you call yourself?"

Lucario was silent. "Names are of no importance to me. They are trivial, petty."

"Don't say that! A name gives you identity, reason."

"Reason for what?" Lucario opened his red eyes. Now he was not merely annoyed with this girl, He was a little...curious. No one had ever bothered to give him a name, much less talk about them. He heard footsteps and leapt up into the tree branches, watching as the girl suddenly appeared around the tree. "Boo!" Lucario sighed and silently stepped along the branch to another tree.

"I said...Reason for what?"

Krissa looked at the space he had been occupying. "Reason...to live. I read a book once" She peered up the tree at him, but he wasn't seen because of the cloud cover. "About a group of children...who were raised without names, only numbers. And about 70 percent of them all killed themselves. And..." She walked back over to the cave and sat in it, studying the meadow for any trace of him. "Since you speak English, it stands to reason that you would be human. Therefore, you had to have a mom, and a dad, and they would have named you." She pouted at being unable to see him.

"Hmm. Your logic would be sound. If that were true. So why have you not left yet?" Lucario said, changing the subject. "Well...why would I? It would be rude. I mean, obviously you helped me out...right?" Krissa put on a confused look. Why was this stranger being so...vague? What if he hadn't helped her at all? Might she be talking to a serial killer or something? But her fears eased when she heard the answer. "Yes. It would have been...rude...to not do so."

"Ahh, a gentlemen you are then...hmm...So...where do you come from?" Krissa got up again and walked over to another tree, peering around it.

"Far away. And you?" Lucario sat on the tree branch, eyes narrowed.

"Celestic town, though I was born in Snowpoint city." Krissa peered around yet another tree. Where was this stranger?

"Not so far. Where were you headed?" Lucario shifted his weight on the branch, closing his eyes. Why didn't this girl leave already? She had been here far too long.

"Oh, nowhere in particular. I sketch Pokémon, so I was just hiking. My mom had warned me of a storm, and I was hoping to be back before it hit, but...Oh! Guess what?"

"Hmm?" Lucario opened his eyes and looked at the girl...who was now sitting directly below him.

"I got to sketch a Zapdos! Look!" She held up a sketchbook and slowly moved it in a circle. "Oh, won't you at least tell me where you are?"

"No." He craned his neck to look at it. It was a good drawing. Surprising, considering the girl appeared to be young.

"Awww, why?"

"Because then you would see me."

"And...That's a bad thing?"

"Yes." Lucario closed his eyes again. Yes...it was a bad thing. If she saw him she would be shocked...a talking Pokémon? Preposterous. Absurd. Yet here he was. And so the news crews would come, Vash would see he was still alive...And that would be the end of his peaceful lifestyle.

Krissa sighed. "Alright then...I won't pry, but...but...Oh no! What time is it?"

Lucario looked at the sky. "Early morning. Why?"

"Oh no! My moms gonna kill me! I am soo grounded..." Krissa got up and looked around frantically.

"Kill you?" Lucario said; his tone skeptical.

"Well, not really but...I have to go, can you show me the way?"

"No. I can tell you." Lucario stood up. Finally. She was leaving. Good riddance. Before he had wondered why the people he met didn't stay and had theorized on what it would be like. He know knew he hated it. "Follow the stream; basically, it should take you straight to the gates. And don't come back." 'Ever. Because you ask far too many questions.' he thought. "Why not?"

"Because I will be long gone." He lied. No, he wouldn't be gone, this is where he lived. He had wandered around Sinnoh for a while after...and had finally found this place. It was serene, peaceful. And it offered location. A stream was nearby; when it stormed he could seek shelter in the cave...away from the lightning. His thoughts were directed to the girl as she got up. "Well...I'll be going now. Maybe I will see you later?" she asked, hope tingeing her tone.

"Doubtful."

She got up and started to follow the river, as he had instructed. Lucario turned and watched her leave. His expression hardened, and he leapt down onto the grass. She was gone. He noticed a sheet of paper on his hammock. "Hmm?" Walking over, he picked it up, discerning shapes and shadows. It was a sketch of a silhouette, leaning against a tree. He recognized some of his features, noted the quick smooth strokes, and the boldness of some lines, the startling clarity of the leaves. "Hm..." He dropped it onto a ledge on the rock wall of the cave and climbed into his hammock, closing his red eyes.

3 short chapter, but... Hmm. Well, the next one will be longer. Vote in the poll so I know which to update next.


	4. Chapter 4

Well, here I am. It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm trying to get back off Hiatus, but it's rather hard. Quite some time ago my computer crashed and I lost all my files. That set me back on any progress I had made on any fanfiction I've been working on. I've been thinking of quitting and taking down Kiba's Love, as... well, it was written quite a few years ago, it's poorly thought out, my character is a mary-sue, and there's no ending. I might just write up something simple for the ending and leave it at that, but I don't know. The Green Journal is something I intend on finishing, I really like my character and how I've been writing it. Yet I've lost the file for that as well, and I'm not sure on how to go about re-writing twelve chapters of shit I had written. Anyway, I will be continuing that later. As of right now, my laptop has broken, and I cannot retrieve my files until it gets fixed, a cost of over 200 dollars. Money I don't have, as I owe over 2000 dollars in college and loans from my parents, as well as crashing my car and needing another one. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism recently, and that explains much of my memory loss for these fictions. Currently I am trying to actively work on The Seeds Of Sadness, and decided I needed to stop neglecting my writing. As you can see, I've improved quite a bit. I've even gotten quite a few chapters written, and over the next few days, I'm going to try and upload them here for your enjoyment. A special thanks goes out to u/3654042/Songbirds_Spirit Songbirds_Spirit for being the person to get me off my fat ass and writing again.

Enjoy :3

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><p>Krissa trudged through the mud. Even though she got to see the legendary Zapdos...Even though she had met this stranger...Her hike had been a flop. Her head still hurt, though some of the bruises and aches had lessened, she was still soaking wet. "Ill probably get a cold now..." She muttered. As she walked, she noticed several Pokémon watching her curiously...a Paras, a Weedle...Bug Pokémon mostly...But wait. A black flash had crossed her line of vision. A pair of yellow eyes peered at her from inside a tree trunk. She narrowed her eyes and continued walking. Hopping over a little river she continued walking, following the river like the stranger had told her to. Which brought to her mind the fact that he apparently didn't have a name...So what should she call him, then? She couldn't just refer to him as the 'stranger' and yes, she was certain it has a 'him', obviously it was a he, and the voice was too...too boyish. He couldn't have been too old, but he was old enough to live on his own. As she thought, more movement caught her eye, and she laughed in surprise. Out of the shadows walked the Umbreon she had seen earlier. Was it following her? She shook her head and watched it. It sat on its rear and looked at her...almost wisely, she noted. Seemingly it smiled and ran off. "Hey! Come back, you!" She ran after it, dodging trees and jumping over bushes. Yep, this outfit was ruined. Mud splattered on it, kicked up from her boots and one too many falls had her thinking it really needed to be dry-cleaned. She pushed through some brambles...and arrived at the gates of Celestic town. Sighing, she walked through the gates and over to her house, located right in the far corner of the town.<p>

Pushing the door open she trudged inside.  
>"Krissa Evangeline Micheals! Where in the world have you been? I was so worried about you!" Krissa's mother, now to be known as Mrs. Micheals stood in the stairway. Her hair was mussed and she held her hands on her hips. "Uhm...Morning mum!" Krissa said. Mrs. Micheals tapped her foot. "Answer the question, where have you been? I told you to be back before lunch! And you're back before breakfast...the next day?" She walked over to the kitchen table and sat down, putting her head in her hands. Krissa walked over to her mom and put a hand on her shoulder. "Its all right, mum, I didn't get lost or anything...I just kind of..."<br>Mrs. Micheals looked up. "Kind of what? What could you have possibly been doing that caused half the town to go out looking for you? What could you have been doing that made me worry so much? I had to send a message to your father in Mauville!" Her expression was soft and hard at the same time.  
>"Well...I was hiking, like I said...but I stopped to sketch...Oh mom, you won't believe it! You told me to find something nice because you didn't want me going out and look what I got to see!" Krissa opened her sketchbook to the Zapdos. "What? A Zapdos?" Mrs. Micheal's expression changed from stern to awe in an instant. "Wow... I've only seen one once in my lifetime...You're very lucky." She took the sketchbook and studied the picture. "Hmm...I guess this explains why the storm was so black and foreboding...It changed from a simple storm to a typhoon very quickly. But this still doesn't explain where you were the entire day and night!" Her tone grew stern again.<br>"Well...you see part of the path on the mountain washed out...and I tried to jump it, but I lost my balance...and fell. But-" Krissa looked at her muddy shoes.  
>"You fell? Are you all right?" Mrs. Micheals tone grew concerned. "Yeah, mom, I'm fine. A little bruised, but okay. But that's not the half of it! I fell down the side of the mountain...but when I woke up I was in this gorgeous meadow, inside a cave! Someone had helped me out...But he never showed his face to me...I only heard his voice. It was very mysterious." Krissa spoke, growing more excited to tell the story. When she was done telling, Mrs. Micheals wasn't very angry anymore. "My dear daughter...you seem to have had a knack yesterday for finding the rare and mysterious things in these woods. Do you remember the hiker who came through town a couple months ago? Right after that big flood?"<br>"Yeah...You mean the one who was talking about how he almost drowned... but...someone...saved him...You think i met the same guy?" Krissa again looked confused, yet hopeful. She had met a hero! Maybe she could go back and find this mysterious person. "Probably dear, they say that this person has rescued people before, he's even something of a legend, you might say."  
>"A legend? How come I've never heard of him?" Krissa got up and grabbed a towel from the bathroom, then walked back to the kitchen.<br>"He's very recent, only in the past couple years has he been around. You say you heard his voice?"  
>"Yeah...it was very boyish, very rough. Yet it had wisdom in it, like he wasn't that old, but old enough to live on his own." Krissa looked at the table thoughtfully. She would go back; she needed to learn more about this stranger...besides... He must be very lonely out there in the woods.<br>"Has he ever talked to anyone before? What's his name?"  
>Mrs. Micheals nodded, getting out some cups and plates. Going to the fridge she said; "Yes, I believe he has. He has never mentioned one." She set out some milk and cereal, and then seemed to blink. "Krissa...You're all muddy...Get upstairs this instant and clean off!"<br>Krissa stood up immediately and walked up the stairs, grabbing the bowl of cereal on the way. Yes...she would have to go back and try to find this person...most definitely.


	5. Chapter 5

Lucario woke with a start; his eyes flashing open. Realizing it was now closer to evening, he sighed. Time to start a new day. Outside of the cave, it was still dark, and he recognized the cry of many Pokémon, out frolicking in the puddles the storm had left. He turned to one side and stood his feet off the side of the hammock. He thought back to why he had it in the first place...He had once been in a warm bed...and now that he lived in the woods he could not forget the luxury of sleeping off the ground. He slowly got up, his tail twitching and shaking itself loose of water that had dripped on him while he slept. He glanced over to the drawing and then outside, where he could see an occasional ray of sunshine peek through the cloud cover. His stomach rumbling, he thought; 'Time for dinner.' So he got up and started walking, eyes darting left and right, taking in the world after the storm, what parts of the landscape had changed, which parts had become impassable, which had grown clear. He spotted several downed trees and a large rock pile, presumably from an avalanche. The storm...had been particularly bad. He raised a steel studded paw to the back of his head, feeling the nub of what had used to be an aura sensor. It didn't bother him, really, but his head felt strangely lopsided right after he had lost it...but he had learned to cope. Lightning flashed in the distance, shortly followed by a peal of thunder which shook the ground. However, he kept walking, noting several distress areas. Here and there were Electrike, passed out from overload of electricity, with mothering Manectric sitting or sleeping next to them. Oh. Here was something new. He walked over to the flock of Spearow. They looked up as he passed by. He watched them as they crowded around what was presumably their parent, a large Fearow lying passed out on the ground. Electricity sparked around it, and it spasmed in pain. He started to walk past, but remembered how much pain he had been as he had been shocked with lightning. Turning he knelt next to it. The Spearow looked at him curiously, and then moved aside. He looked over the Fearow's wounds carefully. "Hmm..." There was an entrance wound here, where the lightning had hit it. Putting a paw over it, he felt the amount of electricity still rushing around. The Fearow was still convulsing and Lucario quickly got up. Walking over to a Manectric, he mentally braced himself. He hated electric Pokémon. Hated them. Telling the Manectric that lightning had shocked a Fearow, he walked away. He knew that the Manectric could control the electricity in the air, and so knew that it would help take it out of the Fearow before it became too much for its heart, and died. He continued walking. Eventually he found what he was looking for. Dinner. He gathered up the berries in his paws and walked away, munching on them. They tasted sweet, and the juices dripped down his chin. Finishing his meal, he wiped his chin and continued his walk. Usually after eating he would go up to the mountain and sit on a ledge he had carved, watching the clouds and maybe taking a nap if he was tired enough. After that, he would go around, just walking and watching. Then he would climb a tree maybe, standing on the tip of it and still watching. He rarely talked during the day, or the night. Usually this was how his day went, every day. Occasionally he would find someone; a hiker usually stuck on a ledge or collapsed of thirst. If they were simply stuck he would tell an Onix or a golem to go help, but if he came upon someone who was unconscious he would walk away, then shortly come back, again changing his mind and help out the person. He would never take them to his place though...for some reason today had been different. Maybe it had been because of the storm...maybe it had been because it was a young girl.

The girl...She had asked too many questions. But one question had taken him by surprise. "Pft. Name, indeed. I do not need a name." He muttered to himself. Reaching the mountain he lightly leapt onto the side and started running up it, dodging boulders and stumps of old trees. But suddenly...He heard a voice. Instantly dropping down to a crouch and hiding behind a boulder, he activated his Aura sensors and used aura sight to see who was up there, and whether or not they were a threat. This was where the missing sensor came into play. He had only the time to use Aura sight once before it had been ripped off, but he could tell the difference. It was more...blurry, less defined. As his vision extended up to the ledge he had carved he was startled to see that there was a girl there. His eyes widened as he recognized her. It was THE girl, the one he had rescued. What was she doing here?! He had told her to go back. But of course, he thought bitterly. It was evening, which would have given her enough time to go back, even sleep for a while, then go back into the woods. Hopefully she would leave. He sighed and slid down the side of the rock, landing in a sitting position on the rocky ground. He would wait. He had nothing better to do anyway. He let his Aura sensors fall and closed his eyes. When would this girl leave him alone? It...Well, it was probably not on purpose. But still. He sighed again, and put on a scowl he used when around humans. Humans...It wasn't that he didn't trust them, it was that he didn't trust himself around them. Not since he had been a Riolu. That...had been a fun time. A peaceful time. But he had to go and trust a human. Many humans had come and gone from his life, and he had been mostly the cause of them leaving. He was just bad luck around them. Bad luck. Bad...luck...

"Hello?" The voice startled him, he must have fallen asleep. Lucario snapped his eyes open, instantly alert. Had the girl spotted him? Pure reflex at her voice had made him raise his sensors and look around. No...She wasn't near him, but she was looking in his direction. What had made her question if she was alone? He noticed he was no longer sitting, but lying on the ground. Maybe him falling over had made a sound?

"Hello? Is anyone there?" The girl called again. What was her name? Krissa, was it? Yes, Krissa.

"Look, I know your there, I can see your shadow."

Lucario was startled, for the third time in 2 days. He looked around. Indeed, his shadow, a dark blob with no decipherable traits was spread out in the ground before him. "Yes...indeed you can." He watched with satisfaction as her eyes widened. "S-Stranger. I didn't expect you. Well...I was hoping...but..."

"Hoping?" Lucario watched as Krissa stood up. To his dismay she started walking over to him. He had to act quickly. "No! Do not come over here." Krissa stopped stock still. "What? But why...?"

"Because" He said quickly "You would not like what you see. I forbid it. If you knew what was good for you, you would respect my privacy, and my wishes. At least as long as we continue to coincidentally meet." Lucario said, anger tingeing his voice and making it sound menacing. Why?! Why did she continue to talk to him, to...to annoy him? He was coming to the end of his politeness. Krissa turned and walked back up to the ledge. Her voice warm and inviting, she said; "Ok then. I will respect your privacy. But why are you following me, then?"

Lucario laughed; a short, sarcastic laugh. "Me? Follow you? I thought it was the other way around. I told you to leave. I see you are no longer muddy, so I assume you got home. But why come back?"

"Well..." Krissa shifted, obviously nervous. "I wanted to see you again. To say thank you. I brought you a sandwich as well."

"Why? I am not hungry." No, he wasn't. His stomach was full of berries. Why would she think he was?

"Because you obviously live here in the woods...food must be hard to come by."

Did she pity him? Oh, no...If she pitied him she would be seeking him out everyday, bringing him food. Which he did not want! He began to get angry. Wait, began? No, he was already mildly annoyed.

"I am fine living here! Or at least I was...until you came and started pestering me! Why wont you just leave?"

"Because." Krissa fixed his shadow with a stare. "You must be lonely; I figured you might need someone to talk to. And I'm a little curious too."

"Lonely? I… I'm not lonely. I'm perfectly fine." Lucario thought a minute. Was he? Bored, maybe. He did the same thing nearly every day, but that was all right. Lonely? No.

"Curious about what." Lucario deadpanned.

"About...about what, you say." Krissa's tone was sarcastic, and held a hint of humor. "About the fact you won't show me your face, you live alone, and you seem to posses an uncanny sneaking ability. Not only that, but i have heard about you, if you are the person that repeatedly rescues people from avalanches, floods, and otherwise perilous situations, then yes, i am curious about you. Not to mention, you don't seem to have a name, nor do you want one." Krissa said her voice ringing in his ears.

"And the fact that i will refuse to answer any of those questions." Lucario closed his eyes, sighing. This girl. She was so nosy! It was to be expected...after all he had rescued her, and she had come seeking out answers. That she was not going to get.

"If all you are going to do is ask questions, then you will get no information." Overhead, a flock of Pidgey flew around, eventually sitting on a tree far off.

Krissa pouted. "Aww...Alright then. I can respect that. But i have one last question, before I shut up and leave you alone."

Lucario groaned. "What?"

"Would it be pleasing to you if I referred to you as Ren?" The question took him by surprise. How completely...Random.

"What? Why?" Lucario opened his red eyes again, thinking of a reason to say no. But none found their way to his brain.

"Well, if we meet it would be nice to have a name to call you by. I mean, i cant keep calling you stranger, right?"

"Why 'Ren'?" So here they were, discussing a name for him. A name! Of all the things he had witnessed, this had to be the strangest. He felt...almost honored. It was a weird feeling, he couldn't describe it. Was honored even the right word for it? More like...He didn't know. But there was one feeling he could identify, maybe two. He felt more then a little confused, but then again he had been feeling that way for the whole day. And...He felt pleased. Now he had been...named. None of the other humans he had met had even thought about naming him, and he had known them far longer then this girl. Much longer. Of course, that wasn't hard, as he hadn't even knew of her until yesterday morning. But...did he want to have a name? Did he want to feel any sort of attachment to this human girl? He closed his eyes, remembering previous attachments and bonds he had formed, then the pain as they were ripped away from him. The question arose in his mind. But before he could speak it, Krissa answered his question.

"It seemed...pleasing to me. Its short, rolls off the tongue, and isn't a common name."

"Why do you insist on talking to me? On trying to befriend me? It doesn't...doesn't make sense. I am a complete stranger to you!"

"Does it have to? You're a nice enough person, and everyone deserves a friend. You seem very...sad inside."

Lucario narrowed his eyes. Sad inside? Who was she to judge his character just by hearing him speak? If she saw his scars, his wounds, then she would know. Know what, exactly? Know him? Know that he had gone through pain unlike any she had ever experienced? This happy go lucky girl had just waltzed into his life and messed everything up. His simple lifestyle, down the drain. He knew that they would keep meeting, even if he tried to avoid her. And...Eventually she would see him. What would happen then? Would she scream, run? That appeared to be the best case scenario. Worst case, she would run over to him, throw her arms around him and give him a hug. Then the pitying would start. And it would never end. He sighed. It always seemed that every time he settled down somewhere a human would appear and ruin it. Was that to be the case? Was cruel fate trying to set him up to be responsible for the deaths of as many humans as possible? Lucario scowled. This girl should leave. he had had enough of talking for one day, for a month. For a while, at least.

"Shouldn't you be getting home, it is getting dark." Lucario watched Krissa carefully. She looked up in surprise. "Dark? I suppose...Will...will I see you later?" Obviously she could tell when he wanted her to leave, for she got up fairly quickly. Lucario realized his tone had been rather angry and venomous. Well, it was her fault. She had touched upon the wrong subject. Sad inside, indeed.

"Doubtful."

Krissa smiled. "Yeah, but you said that the last time we separated."

Lucario's mouth twitched in what could be assumed as a very small, very faint smile.

He heard the gravel crunch under Krissa's boots as she left.

"Goodbye...Ren."

Lucario waited until he was sure she was gone, then he stood up. There, on the ledge was a small parcel. He walked over to it, checking to make sure Krissa was gone, then unwrapped it. He stared incredously at the sandwich. It appeared to be some sort of vegetable with chopped berries on the top of it. "i...don't believe it." He picked it up and inspected it. It looked okay. He carefully took a bite out of it. "Hmm..." He took another...and another...and another, until it was almost gone. He inspected the last bite for a second, and then popped it into his mouth. Unbelievable. Why was this girl so intrigued with him? For that matter, why was he so intrigued with her?

As he walked back down the mountain, behind him a flock of Spearow rose up. They were led by a Fearow.


	6. Chapter 6

We start this chapter off again with Krissa and her mother. Don't worry, you didn't miss anything.

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><p>"Hmm...Well, he seems very confused, A tiny bit sad, and maybe even a bit angry." Krissa sat at the kitchen table. She flipped through the pages in her sketchbook until she came to the newest one. The perspective was looking downwards and it was of a large boulder about 500 feet down the side of a rock wall. There was the shadow of the boulder, and then extending from it was an irregularity, which was not the shape of the rock. It was rather angular, and Krissa had a hard time figuring out where the rock ended and the person began. There was a small bush above the rock, and that seemed to create enough shadows of light and dark that made the persons head appear distorted. At least to her. She didn't know the real truth, which was that the two large triangles were what she had assumed were clusters of leaves were not leaves, but ears.<p>

"Is that so?" Mrs. Micheals stopped what she was doing, which was cutting up peppers for breakfast. Krissa had come in rather late, and she had wondered what she had been doing. Now she was being given the breakdown. She put the peppers in the omelet mix, and sat on a stool to listen.  
>"Yeah. He asked me why I wanted to be friends with him...I told him that everyone needs a friend. I also told him he seemed very said. He was really quiet after that, I thought he left. But his shadow was still there. I think he got mad at me, 'cause he basically told me to go home after-wards. Oh! Thanks mum." Krissa took her omelet from Mrs. Micheals. "I left him the sandwich you made." She said quietly. "That's OK. Did he like it?"<p>

"I don't think he ate it." Krissa frowned. Mrs. Micheals looked thoughtful for a second. "I'll bet he did. I bet he waited till you left. People are funny, sometimes. They can be stingy, selfish, or proud, anything really, but not many will turn down a gift. Especially a gift of food. In many cases, food can be an icebreaker between people." Mrs. Micheals sat for a minute with her plate of food. "Do you think he likes me?" Krissa asked, sticking a piece of egg on her fork and looking at it. "How does he act around you?"

Mrs. Micheals asked. "Well...He always talks in this weird gentlemanly fashion. He likes to speak in short sentences, and he doesn't speak very much. He seems to be angry at me for talking to him but... I don't think he realizes it but he acts very...lonely. And uncaring. Like...he doesn't care about what I do...or say. Yet he is still curious. Isn't that weird?" Krissa chewed her egg slowly. Her mom looked up at her from across the table. "Weird? No, that's not weird. I don't think he's used to people. Maybe he just doesn't know how to act."

"Maybe. But he doesn't seem like that...he seems more...like he knows people but doeskin want to talk to them? I mean...This is so weird." Krissa finished her omelet and put her plate in the sink. "I'm going to go up to my room for a bit. Then maybe ill go see if I can find him again. Ok?"

"That's fine dear. But remember! Be back _before_ dinner, because if you're not I'm going to ground you until dirt comes out your ears." Mrs. Micheals glanced sharply at Krissa, who cringed at the thought. Not when she was so close to figuring out this mystery! "Alright mom. Ill be back, I promise." She went up the stairs.

Opening the door to her room she surveyed it. Nothing was out of place. Her Raichu alarm clock was sitting on her bedside table, next to her bed which was plain except for a green comforter and a laptop. The rest of the room was plain, white walls with green trim and a dresser in a corner of the room. She sat on her bed and opened up her laptop. "So...first, the weather." She pulled up a weather site and read the forecast. "Hmm...Today it's supposed to be mostly sunny. 'Mostly sunny with a slight cloud cover later in the evening, followed by fog in the morning'...Hmm." She shut the laptop and dumped her knapsack on the bed, sorting out its contents.

"Hmm...Calculator...pencils...drawings stuff...a book, a tightly folded blanket and an emergency flare. Well...I guess that's ok. I could do with some food though." Krissa walked downstairs and looked through the cupboard, grabbing a water bottle, filling it with water and then grabbing a couple Nanabs and a carton of razz berries. She went to the fridge looking around for something to take...but she didn't find anything. She went up to her room and stuck the fruit in her knapsack. She also grabbed a blue hoodie and a pair of socks, wrapping the hoodie around her waist and sticking the socks in her knapsack. She stood and looked over her attire. It was different today; she had a brown shirt and pair of jean shorts, along with her hiking boots and her fingerless gloves. She grabbed her beanie off the bed post and stuck it into her hair. "There! That should do it."

Krissa nodded to herself and walked downstairs. Her mom was sitting on the sofa in the living room, reading a book. "Bye dear! Take your time, but not too long! Remember, till dirt comes out your ears!" Krissa waved at her mom and walked back out the door. She made it to the edge of the woods before she noticed something, a slight paw print in the dirt. Too small to be a passing Skitty, Krissa looked around. "I know you're out there...I'm going to get you today, Umbreon." She called, peering around.

There! A pair of yellow eyes stared at her. Krissa slowly edged to the hollow tree and bent down. The Umbreon shot out from it and Krissa almost fell backwards. Today, however, it stopped. And Krissa noticed something else. "You're hurt..." The Umbreon slowly walked over to her, and Krissa could see the long cut on the side of its head. She put a hand out, and the Umbreon seemed to purr as she stroked it.

"What's this?" Krissa took her hand away from the sleek black fur. There were long strands of something sticky draped across its back, and they stuck to her hands. "Spider web? What spider is big enough to mess with you?" The Umbreon fixed her with a stare, and then dashed to the edge of the woods, stopping long enough to glance backwards at her. "You want me to follow you?" Krissa questioned. "Bree!" It dashed away, leaving Krissa to dash after it. Every time she lost sight of it, it would reappear in front of her, and then dash away again. Not too long after wards, not long running full speed anyway, she came across a large clearing. Well, not so much clearing as crater. It was a very large indentation on the ground, but grass and weeds had grown on it.

The Umbreon sat on a large stone at the very edge. Krissa started to run over to it, but tripped on something hard stuck in the ground. "What-Whooa!" She made a thump and a puff of dust arose from where she fell. She got up and inspected what she had fallen over. It was a tablet, gold in color and had weird glyphs on it. And...It was also covered in spider web? She looked around, noticing for the first time that the clearing was draped with webbing. She got up quickly. It would have to be a big spider to make this much web...She looked around and stuck the tablet into her knapsack for inspection later. The Umbreon was gone, Krissa thought glumly. Maybe it was time to go as well, before the spider got back. She had heard of Spinarak, and she knew there was an evolved form...but she couldn't for the life of her remember what it was called.

Briskly walking out of the clearing, she wondered what the tablet was. She wandered around for a minute before she realized where she was. She started laughing, and pushed through some bushes to reveal the familiar cave, the waterfall and the stream...She was right back where she had woken up. She called out, wondering if Ren was in the cave. "Ren? Are you here?" No answer. She walked into the cave. Nope, no Ren. But there was the cloth the sandwich had been wrapped in, and the drawing she had left for him. She smiled with satisfaction. So he had eaten it. She turned around and walked back out of the cave. Sitting under a tree, she waited. Ren would have to come back sometime. Closing her eyes, she slipped into a light sleep.

While she slept, Ren was off in another part of the woods. Something was here that shouldn't be, and it was hurting the Pokémon. He sighed as he came across yet another Pokémon; a Beedrill caught in a fitful sleep and wrapped in a cocoon of silk. "Silk... Some Spinarak must have evolved and thought he could become the boss of the woods. Humph. Why is it only I appear to be capable of helping out these days?" Ren looked up to the sky. As he unwrapped the **B**eedrill it began to wake. 'Bii...' Ren sighed. There. It blinked at him, and then flew off to join its buddies, who were hovering overhead. Ren got up and walked off. Time for a nap. And where to go for that? When he didn't want to be disturbed, he always went to his cave and slept in his hammock. And heaven help any Ariados if it came within ten feet of him.

"Wha?" Krissa was startled at the sound, blinking her eyes open, just in time to see something move, but as she rubbed them, it became apparent nothing was there. "Uhm...Hello? Ren, that you?"  
>Ren gaped at her. Walking in the clearing he had felt, rather then saw her, and stood staring at her, then shaking his head and jumping into the nearest tree.<p>

Again in the tree branches Ren scowled down at her. Why? All he wanted was peace! Time to nap, maybe! Maybe if he stayed silent she would leave. So he carefully sat down on the branch, crossing his legs and staring at her. Maybe he would take a nap right here. "I could have sworn I heard something..." Krissa muttered. She got up and slowly walked around, peering up at the treetops and around the bushes. Ren sighed, and closed his eyes.

In his minds eye a streak of lightning appeared and arced towards him. He tried to move, to dodge, but it hit his small body, sending him crashing into a wall of a city, face first. Rivulets of blood ran down his face as he got up, from where his muzzle had been slammed into the wall. He turned his head towards the one who had shocked him- "Ren! Is that you?" Ren woke with a start.

"Hmm?" The query slipped out his mouth before he could stop it. The girls' reaction was immediate. "I knew it! You are here. You're very quiet when you walk. How was your day?"  
>Ren sighed. So much for her leaving. Resigning himself to his fate he said; "Slightly more interesting then yesterday."<br>"What, why?" Krissa walked back over to the tree she was sitting under, a large Elm tree.  
>"Because there have been...disturbances. Thus making my days varied, therefore interesting."<br>"Disturbances? Like what?" Arceus this girl was annoying. But her tone wasn't questioning this time, which made Ren wonder. He decided to answer.  
>"All day today I have met different Pokémon wrapped up in webbing. Many Pokémon there were, Weedle, Caterpie, even Beedrill, which are big. Something that would attack without prompt is dangerous and needs to be dealt with."<p>

"Oh. I met an Umbreon today, I've seen her around. But today she was hurt, cut on her head and she had silk draped on her back. She showed me this." Krissa took the tablet out of her bag. "Look at this."  
>"Hmm? Oh, a tablet. What's it say?" Ren sounded genuinely curious.<p>

"I don't know. It's in glyphs. But it has pictures on it. There's what looks like a shooting star on it. Some Pokémon, I can't tell, it's too old and faded. Do you want it? You'll have to come get it..." Krissa said in a singsong voice. If he did, she would see what he looked like. But to her disappointment, he said no. "Keep it. It may prove useful." Krissa couldn't tell, but Ren was actually very interested in it, he even activated his Aura Sight and looked at it. But what he saw made him think 'that was weird.' The thing gave off a weird aura, with many colors. As Ren looked at it, his mind began to buzz. Not a nice buzz either.

He deactivated his sensors. 'I don't like it. It is a bad thing.' He thought. With a start, he realized Krissa wasn't underneath the tree anymore. Where? He looked around, trying to find her. "Hmm..." He again used Aura Sight. Well, tried to. "What? Why..." He swiveled his head around to look at the tablet. His frown changed into a glare.  
>"Why what?" Krissa appeared out of his cave. "Never mind. It was nothing of importance to you."<p>

"Oh...ok. So what do you think of it? I left so you could come take a look at it without me seeing you...but I guess you didn't. Did you?" She had moved...to let him look at it?  
>"How...thoughtful. I did not, however."<br>"Oh. Ill move and let you then." Krissa got up and turned around, covering her eyes. In the branches, Ren watched with interest. So, she was finally going to respect his wishes? Well...That was the first time someone had ever done that. Maybe it was time for him to take a chance. Slowly, carefully, He hopped down from the tree. He froze and watched her for any sign she was going to whip around.

Again, carefully he padded over to the tablet. Standing right in front if it, he watched her. She didn't move. He studied the tablet. She was right. It was too faded to read. But he knew one thing. He did not like being near it. At all. The closer he got to it, the more uncomfortable he became. The buzzing filled his sensitive ears and resonated through the sensors on the back of his head. It gave him a headache, and foolishly he wondered what would happen if he touched it.

He decided not to; becoming more uneasy by the second, he ran over to the tree he had been sitting in and leapt up into it. "You can turn around now." She did, turning around quickly. Too quickly. She wanted to see him. Badly.

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><p>And we end it with a game of cat and mouse, with Ren as the mouse avoiding the cats gaze. XD<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

They're getting longgerr :D

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><p>She stiffened as she heard a small thump, then footsteps. So he was in a tree, perhaps. To the...to the left behind her. That meant he had good balance, and that he didn't weigh very much. So he was only a boy. She imagined what he looked like. He probably had black hair, to blend into the shadows. He would have a green or brown shirt...And blue eyes, since they were the most common. She pictured him smiling, and then frowned. No, he wouldn't be smiling. She put a scowl on her mental image. There. His clothing would be ragged, but it would fit him. How old would he be? Probably about...15 or 17. Old enough to live on his own, but young enough to retain a boyish look. Maybe he would be older, though. He seemed to possess wisdom. Or maybe he- "You can turn around now." His rough, boyish voice spoke.<p>

Krissa did, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. But he was gone. Sighing, she asked him; "Well? What do you think?"

"I think...it does not belong in these woods."

"What do you mean? I found it in 'these woods'." Krissa frowned.

"It gives me a bad feeling. I do not like it."

"What do you suggest we do then?"

"We? 'We' are not going to do anything. If you choose to leave, I will stay here."

"Why? Wouldn't you want to come?" Krissa's tone was confused. Surely he would want to come, he sounded as curious as anyone.

"No. Contrary to what I said before, I live here. I have been traveling for some years, and have found a place I can sleep comfortably at night in. Why should I choose to leave when I have only just settled down? I do not wish to leave."

Krissa sighed. "Alright...where would I go, anyway?" She sneezed, twice.  
>Ren was silent.<p>

"I mean, really, where would I go? I wouldn't know where to begin, and besides, I don't have any Pokémon to protect me if I did."  
>"Why would you need a Pokémon to protect you? You seem sensible enough." Ren shifted position in his tree, and Krissa smiled. There he was. She could just imagine him, sitting on a branch with a leg dangling off, with maybe a backwards baseball cap on his head, and a frown on his face.<p>

"Well...the world outside is tough, at least, at least that's what my mom tells me."

"Humph. Don't I know it." Ren muttered quietly.

"What?" Krissa questioned.

"I said; 'She's right. It is tough." Ren blinked, sighing.

Krissa heard the sigh. "How do you know? Is that why you live out here?" Ren tensed. The meaning behind the question was innocent...the question itself, not so much, and Ren struggled to think of something to tell her. Settling on the roundabout answer, he said; "I do not live out here because of something that has happened in my childhood, I live out here because I want to, because I like it."

Inwardly, he winced. Some subjects should be buried in a dark hole and forgotten. Closing his eyes, he again saw the flash of lighting, felt the pain in his back as his life was ripped out of him, heard his own scream. Yes, he liked to live here in the woods...but he couldn't quite forget...living in a house. He had lived in a mountain...in a house...in the desert, which he abandoned after three days of near constant aura sight because the desert sand blinded his eyes.

Eventually, he had made it upwards to Eterna forest...and he lived there for a period of time, but had abandoned it because it was a regularly trafficked place for humans, and he couldn't run that risk of him being seen...and recognized.

Krissa got a confused look. 'Has' happened in his childhood? A past tense...so something had happened in his childhood. Had it made him like this? She wondered what could be so bad to make someone leave his own home. How old was he, she wondered...sure, she had assumed him to be, but how old was he really? What if he was much younger and his experiences had given him wisdom? What if he was a child, only eight or nine?

"Ren...how old are you?"

In the tree, Ren's red eyes widened. Another first for him; no one had asked him his age before. He was only about 6, even in human years, but 6 was a short time to the humans, wasn't it? Maybe he should say higher...Or not at all.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he said; "Why does it matter? If I told you I was 19, or if I told you I was six, would it make a difference? I would still be here, talking to you, and nothing would have changed between us." Excepting on the off chance you think I am human...then people would be sent into the woods to search for the six year old boy and I cannot have that.' Ren thought.

On the ground, Krissa was staring at the tree with her mouth open. "Well? Did you think I would tell you my actual age, girl? If I am unwilling to even show you my body, then what would make you think I would tell you anything about myself?"

Krissa shook her head. "I just thought...maybe you would talk to me, open up a little. I'm not dumb you know, I noticed the past tense, which told me you did indeed have **some**thing happen in your childhood...and it made me think of how old you really are. I'd pegged you as 15 or 17, because of how you speak and act...but then I thought maybe you were younger, because you seem very curious about everything about you."  
>"Your logic would be infallible; if it were right. I am not old, but nor am I young, by your standards. Again, it does not matter."<p>

"By...my standards? What other standards would you use?"

'Gah ...She always picks up on the key words in my sentences...I should stop talking now. Why, why, does she insist on talking to me and asking questions? Does she even know how to be silent for any period of time? It is a complicated thing, this...I have to tread carefully. Now...what other standards would I use, besides Pokémon ages scales...Human age scales are out, since that is her standard...Augh, I've dug myself a hole, and only the tips of my ears are sticking out.' Ren sighed. Closing his eyes he said.

"Age differences...Pah, fine. I'm not as old as you, but I'm not a child, either." He said, a tinge of...defeat? Coloring his tone.

Krissa was thinking of almost the same thing, but her thoughts were going in an opposite direction. 'Why is he so quiet? Did I offend him, has he left? Why is he always so quiet anyway? Is he just not used to it, or does he simply not want to answer my questions? And what did he mean by my standards...what if...what if I have him all wrong? What if he isn't even...human? If I were to find out that he's an alien or something, like Deoxys? Would I still come here to talk to him?' She paused for a minute. 'Yes. I would. Even if he might not be human, he is still lonely inside, I think, and wants some company. I mean, everyone needs a friend, and this guy...Ren, doesn't seem to have any. Should I ask him if he has any? No, that would be rude. But maybe...after he accepts me as a friend, ill ask him.'

Startled, she realized he had said something. "Hmm? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." She said, staring at the tree he was supposedly in. She paused, getting a confused look. Something seemed...different about the tree.

She stared at a patch of blue that stared her in the face...Maybe she was wrong about the shirt color. Maybe it was blue, not brown or green. So maybe... She blinked. It had moved, and was suddenly...gone. Just...a blink and it was gone. He was _really_ fast. Krissa thought, searching for him in the trees. Getting up, she moved towards the tree where she had thought she had seen him.

In a new tree, Ren watched her silently. That...was close. He was sure she had seen him, and had moved accordingly, to the next few trees over, now behind her. She walked over to the tree and peered up at it. Ren could see the processes going on in her mind. "I said; I'm not as old as you, but I am not a child, either. And that is pointless, trying to see me."

Krissa whirled around, now peering into the trees behind her. "How do you **do** that?"

"Do what?" Ren deadpanned. Oh, he knew what she was talking about, but he rather like this game of hawk and sparrow.

"Just...up and disappear like that. It's unnerving, but it explains how you can walk so quietly, you must have very good balance."

"I do. I was born with it, and other things besides." Such as a furry tail, tall ears and a muzzle.' Ren smirked, amused with his own thoughts.

"Oh. So… wait, you're younger then me? I'm only thirteen! And you live out here, alone? That's...not healthy." Krissa said, almost...outraged, Ren realized. Did she really and truly care for him, even though she had only known him for three days? Ren's expression, currently a scowl, softened.

Bit by bit, this girl was gaining his trust. And... That was one of the last things he wanted. He had lost all trust in humans long ago, within three weeks of him evolving. Quickly learning that all humans were out to capture him, or hurt him, or hurt his family… Yes, he had a family. Simple memories now, simple memories and scars.

He had fled to the woods, leaving his trust behind. Really, he had hoped that he would find someone who would...care about him, who would hold the Riolu in a Lucario's body and say; 'Shh, it's alright. I'll take care of you.' But it was not to be. At least, not yet. The first human he met had tried to capture him, sending out a weird Pokémon he had never seen before. He would learn later it was called a Froslass. He shivered, memories of cold flooding his mind. His first battle had not been pleasant, nor had his second...or his third. And after his eighteenth battle with a human who had wanted him simply because Lucario were rare, he had snapped. Ignoring the Rhydon charging at him he had sent an aura sphere at the trainer, sending him flying into a lake. The Rhydon had turned in mid-charge and ran into the lake, fishing the unconscious trainer out, while he walked away, unscathed in body...but not in mind. At that instant he resolved to never trust a trainer, nor anyone who saw him as a tool, or an item.

He had known he would never find that person who would care for him like a parent. He could hardly remember his own, having been torn away from his home at so early an age. He remembered with perfect clarity how old he had been when he evolved. Three months, probably the youngest Lucario ever, and he had had almost no childhood before he was forced to grow up. Well. Besides pranking his teacher and running around loose with his brother...

He smirked, and closed his eyes, noticing it was quiet. Too lazy to open them, he let his sensors rise and felt around for her, Krissa. Ah. She was leaning against the tree where he had been previously, her eyes closed. Raising a non-existent eyebrow, he leaned in closer. Was she alright? Shaking his head, he cleared his mind of such thoughts. Why would he care if she was alright? He should not care. Would not allow himself to, anyway. She was probably just sleeping. A pause.

Taking a chance, he hopped down from the branch and walked towards her, his mind racing. If her eyes snapped open...she would be able to see him, in all his scarred glory. He was sure she would recognize him...after all, what had happened in Canalave city was no small thing. And she would stand up, maybe gasp, and then run. He would have to leave, to go into hiding, because almost certainly... he... would hear, and...And his life would be shattered. There would be people sent after him, and he would be captured. Best case scenario... he would be praised for fighting the gang, and showered with questions and gifts; which he would have no idea what to do with.

Worst case...

The wrong people found him. There was a reason he went into hiding. Too many people, all wanting the same thing. Him.

As he reached the girl, he bent over and looked her over. She was indeed sleeping, just like she had on that first day, as he carried her through the pouring rain, flinching every time there was a lightning bolt. He had staunched the bleeding on her wrist and head, and had laid her in his hammock. Then he had sat in a tree...and waited. As he stared at her, he noticed some things. For one, she had not been lying about having no Pokémon. He could not see the slightest inkling of the red and white death spheres. Maybe that was why he stuck around. It would be so easy to just leave, right now. But every other human he had met had been a trainer, out to get him.

She was not, and therefore, much, much less of an immediate threat. He doubted he would have brought her to his home if she had been carrying poke balls, just to the path or to the edge of Celestic town. He often wondered if he should have done that anyway. His thoughts were interrupted as she stirred, moving an arm to her front instead of the side. He froze, then inched around to her side, and around to the back of the tree. He peered around it, in time to see her eyes open. Then, noticing his paw prints on the ground, he pressed a paw to his forehead. 'Careless! I am indeed careless for making such a mistake.' He thought, in anger. He watched as she sat up and yawned.

Glancing at the trees and bushes, she frowned. Surely, he would be gone now. She stared at the ground, berating herself for falling asleep. Just when he had begun to open up to her. Wondering why he had taken so long to answer, she thought maybe he had left, offended by her question. Getting off the ground and dusting herself off, she turned to leave...coming around the tree. Hearing a rustling sound and a thump, she froze. Slowly she lifted her eyes to the tree branches above her. Was it possible he had actually stayed? And watched her sleep? She wouldn't put it past him; he appeared to have a lot of patience. Or maybe he just had a lot of things to think about. Shrugging, she continued on, deciding that if Ren wanted her to stay, he would tell her so.

Above her, Ren sighed. Having heard her walk around the tree, he had reacted instantly, a habit whenever he was in danger of being seen, jumping straight up; An easy feat for him, even if he had jumped almost thirty feet in the air, grabbing a branch higher off the ground then the others. He had hung onto it with both paws, watching her as she shrugged and continued walking. Ren swung, once, twice, three times, then he swung up and over the branch, landing on it with his feet, watching her walk away. Making a split second decision, he leapt after her. Maybe he would follow her...He was curious, after all. Where did she live? Did she have family? A brother? He didn't know, but he would find out. Besides; The information might come in use one day. If he was knocked out, for instance. He would presumably wake in her house, and he would know where he was. 'Yeah...you keep telling yourself that.' he thought. 'You just want to make sure she gets home.'

Ren shook his head; dispelling such thoughts and in the process, lost his footing, stumbling and grabbing onto a branch in front of him to keep him from falling, ending up almost parallel to the ground, and coming eye to eye with Krissa, who was staring up at the trees near where he was. 'Great...You are definitely not very stealthy today.' He told himself. She narrowed her eyes, and appeared to stare right through him. He thanked Arceus that his blue merged with the sky, and the yellow merged with a sunbeam...but the black on him was quite hard to hide in broad daylight. He watched, in horror as she sat down, and peered straight at him. 'Gaah! No, get up! Move, look away or something! I don't want to hang here all day!' He complained in his mind. But she didn't. Instead, she just laid back on her back and stared at where she thought he was. Ren sighed inwardly, resigning himself to hanging vertically for a while. Good thing he had lots of patience. Right?

Krissa peered at the trees. Having heard a very large rustle, which shook leaves down onto her, she wondered if Ren...or something was following her. Maybe it was the Umbreon? But as far as she knew, Umbreon weren't tree climbers. She knew that Ren liked to sit in trees, and so she lay on her back and searched the leaves for anything. This boy...he was very mysterious. He was apparently younger then her, he was living in the trees, maybe had a bad childhood, but spoke like an adult. He knew more words then she did. Remembering him telling her that her logic was 'infallible', she wondered what that meant, but assumed it had something to do with strong. She watched as a leaf fluttered down and landed on her chest. Getting an idea, she got out her sketchbook and started sketching out the trees above her. She may have been sketching out a tree, but it was good practice. So saying, she happily started drawing.

Above her, Ren sweat dropped, closing his eyes and hanging a little lower, slipping a little. He sighed. Krissa again looked up. After twenty or so minutes, Ren's arms were shaking. 'Go...look away. Blink! Just...stop...staring up here!' he thought, becoming a tad panicked. 'What if I fall? She will see me for sure...I need to end this...If only...If only _they _were still here...They would help...I know it. They would make her leave, make her stop pestering me..." His eyes closed as he remembered her voice, the touch of her hand on his shoulder.

'...Why?!' His eyes snapped open, the redness becoming harsher. 'I...Have no choice...' He sighed, closing his eyes again.  
>As he opened his mouth to speak, to tell her she caught him, and if she could look away…. He would reveal himself.<p>

And then…

She stopped and put her pencil in her pocket. 'Thank Arceus!' Ren thought, as she stood, and turned around. He let her walk a little distance away, before he let himself fall, twisting around in midair to land on a branch a good 20 feet below him. Noting his arms, which were throbbing, Ren sighed. He would be sore in the morning. Heck, he was sore now. Almost a half hour of holding his full body weight up, adjacent to the ground had left them very shaky and cold. Rubbing them to get circulation back he padded off, being careful to not stumble again. After nearly a half hour of a pace almost too slow for him, really, for him the trip would take ten minutes, Krissa arrived at the gates to Celestic town. He stayed in the trees, watching her to see which house she went in. 'Ah...the one in the far corner...With the blue mailbox.' So thinking, Ren turned and headed back to the woods. He had a lot to think about.


End file.
